The invention relates generally to the production of tritium in a nuclear reactor and, more particularly to a composition for the production of tritium.
As is well known, tritium may be produced by exposing lithium-6 to the neutron flux in a nuclear reactor. In the past, tritium has been manufactured by placing a zirconium capsule containing LiAlO.sub.2 within the nuclear reactor. Because zirconium is readily hydrided, it is necessary to place a protective layer such as aluminum between the LiAlO.sub.2 and the zirconium in order to prevent the tritium from destroying the integrity of the capsule.
As the reactor operates, gas pressure from the generated tritium builds up within the capsule until it becomes so great that the capsule must be removed to retrieve the product before capsule failure occurs. In order to remove the capsule, the reactor must be shut down. This premature shutdown disrupts the smooth operation of the reactor, and is particularly uneconomic in the case of dual-purpose reactors which are also used to generate electicity.
In view of the above, it is an object of this invention to provide a material useful in the production of tritium.
It is another object of this invention to increase the time between shut down of a tritium production reactor.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a more economical method for obtaining tritium.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.